Mauritania rescues 134 migrants bound for Canary Islands

Mauritania's navy rescued 134 people from a boat trying to reach Spain's Canary Islands, the military said Sunday.

The military said the migrants were picked up on Saturday off the coast from Nouadhibou, a port city in northwestern Mauritania. It said the group included 118 men, 14 women and two children of different nationalities.

The statement did not give their nationalities or details on their health.

Sea routes along northwestern Africa have long been used by people trying to reach Europe through the Canary Islands, which lie off the coasts of Morocco and Western Sahara. Hundreds of people have been rescued off Mauritania in recent months, many from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and Mali.